Tokyo (March 15, 2011) - The Bridgestone Group would like to express our deepest condolences to the families who have lost loved ones as a result of the 2011 off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku (Northeastern Part of Japan) Earthquake Disaster on March 11, 2011, and we hope the area will see a swift recovery.

The recovery plan of Bridgestone Group manufacturing facilities located in eastern part of Japan is as follows:

1. Japanese factories located in the Kanto region or north of that region:
   

   Tochigi Factory, Nasu Factory, Kuroiso Factory, Tokyo Factory, Yokohama Factory



2. The guideline about the production recovery
   

   (1)  Though there is no critical damage at the factories, there are some facilities or equipment damaged, and earthquake aftershocks have been following.
   Therefore, we always keep the words "safety first" in our mind, when we take actions for recovery.

   (2)  When restarting the production, truck and bus tires (TBR) will be the first priority, taking into consideration that they are the commercial products required for the recovery of the devastated areas.

   (3)  We will cooperate with rolling blackouts appropriately. At the same time, we will endeavor to minimize the impact of the blackouts through the full utilization of co-generation systems which are installed at each factory.



3. Restart plan of factories
   The restart schedule is as mentioned below. There will be some limitations to the products to be manufactured, such as the prioritization of TBR.
   

   (1) Tochigi Factory	: To restart production from March 16   Under study to restart delivery from March 18 or afterwards
   (2) Nasu Factory	: To restart production from March 16 and to restart delivery   Under study to restart delivery from March 18 or afterwards
   (3) Kuroiso Factory	: To restart production from March 16
   (4) Tokyo Factory	: To restart production from March 15 and to restart delivery   Under study to restart delivery from March 16 or afterwards
   (5) Yokohama Factory	: Partial production has already resumed after plant safety was confirmed. Bridgestone will determine when the Yokohama factory can resume full production based on electricity restrictions and other issues.



4. Establishment of an emergency countermeasures office
   Bridgestone has established an emergency countermeasures office on March 14, (Headed by Masaaki Tsuya, Chief Risk-Management Officer) to accelerate the emergency countermeasures as the Group, such as the counteractions to the rolling blackouts.
   


5. Outline of each factory
   (1) Tochigi Factory
   
   A. Location : Kaminakano 10, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture
   B. Start of Production : 1971
   C. Production Item : Passenger car tires, truck and bus tires, and others
   D. Site area : 488,800m²
   E. Number of Employees : 1,096
   F. Production capacity : 6,200 tons per month
   
   
   (2) Nasu Factory
   
   A. Location : Higashi-yamato Cho 3-1, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture
   B. Start of Production : 1962
   C. Production Item : Passenger car tires, motorcycle tires and others
   D. Site area : 234,540m²
   E. Number of Employees : 847
   F. Production capacity : 2,600 tons per month
   
   
   (3) Kuroiso Factory
   
   A. Location : Shimonakano 800, Nasushiobara City, Tochigi Prefecture
   B. Start of Production : 1971
   C. Production Item : Steel Cord for radial tires, beadwire for tires and others
   D. Site area : 342,342m²
   E. Number of Employees : 657
   F. Production capacity : 65,000 tons per year for steel cord, 28,500 tons per year for beadwire
   
   
   (4) Tokyo Factory
   
   A. Location : Ogawa Higashi-cho 3-1-1, Kodaira City, Tokyo Prefecture
   B. Start of Production : 1960
   C. Production Item : Passenger car tires, truck and bus tires, and others
   D. Site area : 557,400m²
   E. Number of Employees : 1,033
   F. Production capacity : 3,700 tons per month
   
   
   (5) Yokohama Factory
   
   A. Location : Kashio-cho 1, Totsuka-ku, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture
   B. Start of Production : 1938
   C. Production Item : Industrial products, construction materials and others
   D. Site area : 302,343m²
   E. Number of Employees : 1,663